WILMINGTON, Mass. — After going through their off-ice testing and then skating through two sessions totaling around two hours at Ristuccia Arena, the Bruins’ rookies earned the seal of approval from assistant general manager Jim Benning.

“Well the guys all showed up in good shape,” said Benning after the first day of rookie camp. “The guys that were at development camp, they put in the work the last couple months and they all looked good. So we’ll see. They’ll play the exhibition games on the Island and we’ll decide who’s going to come to main camp from there.”

On paper, it would seem the Bruins’ NHL roster is too filled-up with veterans to have room for a rookie with no prior NHL or even professional experience. The odds that a Milan Lucic, Blake Wheeler or Tyler Seguin will emerge in a few weeks are slim.

However, Benning didn’t want to close the door on any opportunity for his phenoms.

“I would tend to agree since the team won the Stanley Cup, but we don’t know for sure,” said Benning about the stiff challenge for a rookie trying to make the NHL roster. “We’re just going to have to go through the process of this camp and then main camp and then, the one thing about Peter [Chiarelli] and Claude [Julien], if a player deserves to be on the team, then they find a way to get the player on the team. So with time that’ll work itself out.”

Jared Knight and Ryan Spooner, Boston’s second-round picks in 2010, seem like the players with the best chance to break through. Both made it deep into NHL training camp last fall and then got a cup of coffee with the Providence (AHL) farm club.

“They went through the process last year, so they understand the size and the speed of NHL players and American Hockey League players,” said Benning. “So they’ve showed up in excellent shape, both of them. And I’m sure as we go through camp that they’ll be able to show everything they’ve got as players because they’ve given themselves an opportunity to show it by coming in such good shape.”

Some of the other bigger names in this camp are this year’s first-round and second-round picks Dougie Hamilton and Alexander Khokhlachev and 2009 third-round pick Ryan Button.

While the Bruins’ Cup win might mean they’re deeper and their lineup is tougher to crack, it also means an added burst of enthusiasm for those players arriving to camp.

“I think everybody’s excited. Everybody’s excited to come to camp, to start up this year,” Benning said. “So I think everybody’s come in good shape and they’re going to put their best foot forward and see what they can do in these exhibition games and going forward.”

Karl
The B’s may sign Brad and ship him off to the Isles, Edmonton, L.A., or Minnesota, for a solid player and a high draft pick or two. See how many Stanley Cup parades he is in then. He better wake up playing with Bergeron and having some of the Bruin muscle definitely helps his style of play.
Anthony
I hope its Pouliot gets cut rather that Caron sent back down.

Kelly has value but don’t think the 2nd rounder would factor into any decision about his future with the team. They got him, won the Cup. P.C. and C.J. are gonna put the best team on the ice. No one’s gonna say: “oh well, sorry no room for a potential rookie standout with more upside, we gave up that 2nd rounder!”

My brother is friends with London’s security mgr. There’s a charity game with Ex-Knights/Current Knights and some local players at Kinsmen Arena/Park that his house backs onto. Since you can’t drink beer in a public park here he tell’s Bob that he’ll grab some beer and the boys can come over.

Next thing you know he’s got Corey Perry, Drew Doughty, Leigh Salters, Danny Syvret, Corey Syvret, Michae D’Orazio, Colin Martin and others on his patio. He had some of that Memorial Cup team there that was arguably the greatest junior team ever.

He was hoping Brandon Prust would come but he had shoulder repairs. That’s the one guy that he’s known since he was a kid. My nephew and Brandon played in the same organization and Prusty is a family favourite.

My brother is so non chalant about his afternoon with some good players and a couple olympians. I’m like are you freaking kidding me!

I really think Knight has a shot at the big league roster! If that is the case either Poulliot gets cut or Caron starts in Providence for more seasoning. With Savard gone, skill is getting thin, so we need more skill guys! Make me proud Jared “don’t call me Jordan” Knight!